Panda Sanctuaries Need Help after Earthquake in China

Eight two-year old pandas were flown to the Beijing Zoo the other day. They are recovering from post earthquake stress after narrowly escaping death at the Wolong Nature Reserve as a result of the terrible earthquake in China. In Gandsu, China, at the world's largest panda reserve, all 102 pandas are missing.

The Wolong National Nature Reserve, a short distance from the earthquake's epicenter, is the birthplace of the pandas at Washington's National Zoo, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. Conditions there after the quake were so bad that 5 tons of bamboo had to be flown in so the pandas would not go hungry.

The Wolong Reserve is in very bad need of help. The National Zoo is collecting donations online, as is Friends of World Heritage, where donations are being matched 2/1 by Expedia.com and the UN Foundation. Donations do not just benefit the Giant Panda. The reserves not only provide jobs for local people, they also generate significant tourism, an important source of income for nearby communities.